Warm Cabbage Salad with Tofu (and optional Sweet Chili Glaze)

I know. It sounds gross.  But it's actually really really good!  And healthy. 

CRISPY TOFU WITH WARM CABBAGE SALAD

(from Cook's Illustrated Dinner Tonight)

serves 4-6

28 oz (800g) tofu (or however much you have)

salt and pepper

4 scallions

fresh cilantro - big bunch

fresh mint - big bunch! (although I've successfully used dried mint)

¾ C peanuts

3 T plus ¾ C vegetable oil

5 T rice vinegar

2 T soy sauce

2 T sugar

1 t Asian chilli-garlic sauce

14 oz (400g) green coleslaw mix (or, if you don't *have* that where you live - use the food processor to cut up some cabbage and carrots into slaw!)

¾ C cornstarch (or rice flour)

¼ C cornmeal

1. Prep tofu – cut into 3 inch x ½ inch planks (or whatever size you want, mine are usually 3cm x 1 cm). Let drain for 20 min. or put in a dish towel and place something heavy on top to squeeze out the water. Season with salt and pepper (optional!)

2. While tofu drains, slice scallions thin. Pick ½ C cilantro leaves. Chop ½ C mint. Chop peanuts. Put in large bowl with coleslaw mix.

3. Make dressing. Whisk 3 T oil, 5 T rice wine vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, 2 T sugar, 1 t chili-garlic sauce in bowl. Cover and microwave until simmering. (1-2 min) Measure out and reserve 2 T dressing.

4. Toss salad. Toss remaining dressing with coleslaw, scallions, cilantro, mint and peanuts in a large bowl. (leave peanuts off til serving so they stay crunchy!)

5. Mix cornstarch/rice flour and cornmeal in shallow dish. Coat pieces of tofu thoroughly and transfer to a large plate.

6. Heat ¾ C oil (I usually use about 2 T) in 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook tofu until both sides are crisp and brown. (about 4 min each side). Transfer to paper towel lined plate. When all the tofu is cooked, I put it all in the pan and drizzle with the reserved dressing - it sizzles and steams and gives a nice crunchy coating. Serve with cabbage salad.

For an added treat, you can make this glaze for the tofu.

SWEET CHILI GLAZED TOFU

(from Complete Vegetarian Cookbook)

½ C water

½ C rice vinegar

1/3 C sugar (or honey)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 t Asian chilli-garlic sauce

2 t cornstarch (or rice flour)

¼ C minced fresh cilantro

salt

FOR THE GLAZE: Whisk water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and cornstarch together in bowl. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels, add glaze, and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 3 minutes. 5. Off heat, stir in cilantro. Add tofu and turn to coat with glaze. Season with salt to taste and serve.

 

Scalloped Cabbage and Refreshing Slaw

Just got back from the grocery store, where I bought a small head of cabbage for 9 cents.  Yes, that's right--9 cents!  Now you know why cabbage is such a staple food item in Russia.  So that was the inspiration for today's lunch.  I suppose the typical Russian would have made borscht soup and piroshki (a bread bun, that can be stuffed with a variety of things, including cabbage).  But I'm not Russian--I'm from the land of Mac and Cheese.  So my cabbage offering actually kind of tastes like mac and cheese, only without the carbs.  Win-win!

Scalloped cabbage, refreshing slaw and roast chicken breast.

Scalloped Cabbage

1 cabbage -   cut into wedges

    Put the cabbage into a pot of boiling water, along with some salt to taste.  Boil until just tender--about 10 minutes.

Sauce:
2 Tb        butter
2 Tb        flour
1 C          milk
1/2 cup   grated sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the flour and cook until light golden brown.  Now add the milk, slowly stirring until you have a smooth sauce.  Add the grated sharp cheddar cheese--more to taste, if desired.  I also add a dash of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  If you wanted to jazz it up some more, you could either add a small grating of fresh nutmeg, OR some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick.

Drain the cabbage and put it into a casserole dish, and pour the cheese mixture over it..  Top with crumbled Ritz crackers and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.


Barb's Refreshing Slaw

Apologies as I don't really measure things, I just sling things together.  So this is an approximation.


1/2 head of cabbage    grated
2 carrots-                     peeled and grated
1 small apple -             finely chopped
1/4 cup raisins             (I soak in hot water first so they don't absorb all the dressing)
fresh mint                    1 small bunch (10 leaves or so?), finely chopped
1/4 cup pecans             finely chopped
3 green onions             finely chopped

mix everything together in large bowl

dressing

1/2 cup                        mayonnaise
1 or 2 Tb                     vinegar (to thin mayo to consistency you like)
1 Tb                             honey
1/2 Tb                         poppy seeds
dash  each                   salt & freshly ground black pepper
dash                             Italian herb mix

Mix dressing separately and then pour over slaw ingredients.  Note:  you may not taste the mint in the slaw at the beginning, but I would hold off adding more as you do taste it after it sits for a bit.  It just adds another layer of taste, sort of refreshing.  I first learned about adding mint to slaw from my lovely friend Saule from Kazakhstan.  She also adds dill to hers but I'm kind of over dill these days as Russians tend to put it in everything.